Wednesday, 24 December 2014

Hello all, Alison (butterfly) here to share my favourite Artistic Stamper creations from this year. I had a long-ish shortlist, but I've (almost) managed to whittle it down to three. Do click on the links if you'd like to see them in more detail again.

(If I've missed out any favourites of yours, I apologise... but there's a little peek of almost all of them over at Words and Pictures today, and if you click the "Alison Bomber" label at the foot of this post, you can revisit any of them that you like!)

In chronological order then - here, from way back in January, is my first choice. Always and Forever Changing is a hanging icon using my much loved flower stamps by Katy Leitch (though she was still Katy Fox back then!).

I had a ball using green and blue Dylusions over an embossed gesso resist, and I love the depth in the layers it created.

My second pick is some rather melancholy journalling pages from February - One Day I'll Fly Away. February's the time of year for melancholy, don't you think?!

More of my favourite colours - blue and brown this time - and I was really pleased with how the layers built up, and with the tiny crackled hearts scattered across the pages.

Choice number three may surprise you. I almost never make cards, and these were way out of my usual textured, layered comfort zone... they're just some Simple Cards.

But I was really happy with the watercolour stamping effect, and the earthy kraft card backgrounds, and the summery feel seems just right for June, when they appeared, so they just made the cut.

Okay, okay - I can't quite do it. At first I thought that I should leave out my Distress Spray crackly heart page since it was only a month ago, but then it really is probably my favourite creation of the year, so I have to give it a mention... sorry!!

So there you have it... my top three (four!) of the year. A big thank you goes to the fabulous Jennie for another great year on the team. If you haven't had a chance to see the choices of the rest of my fabulous team-mates, it's well worth a scroll around - there are some real treats on offer. And you've got a week left to come and join in with our Anything Goes challenge this month, so once all the festivities are under way, do come and play!

Have a fabulous Christmas everyone, and I'll see you in 2015!!
Alison xx

Sunday, 21 December 2014

Hi All, This will be my last post of the year, and just like last year at the same time, I am turning myself to pick up some of my 2014 projects that I like the most...This year was to me THE year of experiments ! making background paper with towels, changing ugly scrapbook paper to mixed-media backgrounds, experimenting stamp kissing, spray stamping, artist trading blocks, and in the end making backgrounds up on a chopping block... Thus I could have chosen these experimental projects... Or I could have chosen the most good-looking ones... which I did !My favorites projects are :the tags I made with Neil's birds ; I am not the queen of Promarkers, and yet I really had fun coloring these weird birds :

my stamp-kissing card - even if the technique is well known all around the world, I was very happy to find it out and experiment it ! and I am really fond of this card I made...

and my Christmas-tree book, since I love to make such decorations rather to buy ones !

And here it is, another year has passed with you, and what could I say more than it is always a great pleasure to meet you again and again, read your comments and wander on your blogs.I am still so proud and happy to be part of this terrific team, and this is a good opportunity to wish very good Christmas and New Year's celebrations to Jennie, our marvelous boss, to my "roommates" and to all of you who have stopped by here !

Thursday, 18 December 2014

This will be my last post for The Artistic Stamper. I have decided that the time has come to move on. I've spent a great 4 years on Jennie's team, using her wonderful Artistic Stamper stamps. I'm so grateful to dear Jennie for giving me my first ever design team opportunity, and the chance to work with some very talented Teamies.

I've had a scroll through all 115 projects that I've made for the Blog, and picked out my six favourite pieces.

I was a guest designer back in 2010, so I thought I'd share my very first piece of art for the Blog. It's a Steampunk frame that I made, using some of the fabulous Steampunk Stamps. You can see my post and tutorial HERE.

Here's a trio of frames that I made in January 2011, using one of my favourite sets of stamps, The Nudes Plate. HERE's my original post.

Another of my favourite sets of Artistic Stamper stamps is the Seaside Plate No. 1. Here, I used the stamps on a piece of Stampbord, and altered a mint tin back in 2012. HERE's my original post.

I've always loved to make wearable art, and here's a Grungebord cuff that I made in 2013. And HERE's my original post.

In the last couple of years, I've started to enjoy using paint a lot more, and here's a tiny canvas that I made in May this year, with an abstract background, and one of the lovely Gibson Girls. And, HERE'S my original post.

There does seem to be an abundance of blue in the pieces that I've chosen! Lol! So I'll throw one more piece in, if I may. It's a card I made in May this year, using the wonderful Dressmaking Plate No. 1, and some warmer colours. HERE'S my original post.

Wednesday, 10 December 2014

Hello everyone, Alison (butterfly) here with a wintry tag for you. There's snow forecast for the UK this week, so it may well fit perfectly with the weather for some of you. You can click on any of the product links in the text if you need to go shopping right now!!

From the moment I saw the large Snowflakes Backgrounds by CaroLines, I had plans for them! This tag uses the Palette Snowflakes as the background.

The other new winter stamp here at The Artistic Stamper which really caught my attention was this beautiful Pine Tree, also CaroLines.

It's stamped in Potting Soil Archival Ink (or maybe Coffee - sorry, can't quite remember, but it's bound to be one of the two!), and clear embossed with SuperFine powder to make it really pop against the snowy blizzard in the background.

I cut the figures using a Tim Holtz die from some "rusted" card leftover from another project. The effect is created using some of the new DecoArt Mixed Media line. You'd need the Carbon spray and Quinacridone Gold.

And once the inks were dry, I smeared Picket Fence Distress Paint onto the Word Band and wiped it back, leaving the lettering highlighted. Despite being dry, the alcohol inks seeped into the colour, but I rather like the distressed look.

I brushed some Chalk Fresco paint (part of the new JOFY Limited Edition) onto the edges of the tag to draw the eye inward and give a softer, snowier look. I blended on some Vintage Photo Distress Ink too, to tie in to the rusty accents of the tag.

The whole thing is finished off with a couple of my tiny pine cones (UPDATE: sorry for any confusion - they are real pine cones, not "mine" as in I made them!!) and some seam binding which has just had a tiny touch of Vintage Photo Distress Ink to shabby it up (down?). And a splatter of Chalk paint at the very end...

So there you have it... I hope that you are staying safe and warm if it's snowing where you are. And if the weather is keeping you indoors, why not use the time to come and play in our Anything Goes challenge this month at The Artistic Stamper. You don't have to use Artistic Stamper stamps to enter, but if you do you get two entries in the prize draw.